This invention relates to image analysis of biological cells. More specifically, it relates to methods, computer program products, and apparatus for automatically analyzing images to determine the ploidy of individual cells within those images.
A number of methods exist for investigating the effect of a treatment or a potential treatment, such as administering a pharmaceutical to an organism. Some methods investigate how a treatment affects the organism at the cellular level so as to determine the mechanism of action by which the treatment affects the organism.
One approach to assessing effects at a cellular level involves capturing images of cells that have been subject to a treatment. At times, the ploidy of individual cells within a population of cells will be part of the assessment. What are needed are image analysis techniques for determining ploidy in cells.